Pumpkin, A Very Healthy Food

Did you know that, in addition to being rich in minerals and omega 3 fatty acids, pumpkin seeds could help us relax and rest?

Pumpkin is a sweet vegetable with different health properties. The benefits of pumpkin would be based on its antioxidant virtues and its content in vitamins, minerals, fiber and low in calories.

Here we explain the benefits of pumpkins. We will also give you some tips to cook this tasty food. Keep reading!

Properties of pumpkin

According to data from the Spanish Nutrition Foundation, pumpkin contains 90% water and few calories and carbohydrates (15g / 100g and 2.2g / 100g respectively). It also has an interesting fiber content. Among its components we find:

• Vitamins : Contains vitamin A and vitamin C above all, in addition to vitamins E and those of group B (among them, folic acid).
• Minerals : It is rich in potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc, among others.
• Beta carotenes: One of its main characteristics is this content .  They are the ones that give it the orange color (the carrot also has them, for example).

• Acids : Linoleic, aspartic, oleic and palmitic.
• Amino acids.

One of the great impediments to consuming it is the difficulty to peel it. In that case, we recommend putting it to cook for a while, cut into pieces. This will help the skin soften and it will be much easier to remove.

Pumpkin seeds

Pumpkin seeds deserve a separate mention, because they are a very nutritious food with health benefits. The essential properties of the seeds are:

• Rich in magnesium.
• Rich in zinc.
• They contain omega-3 fatty acids.
• They would be an excellent food for the prostate.
• They could improve diabetes.
• They are very beneficial during menopause to improve cholesterol and reduce its symptoms.
• They contain tryptophan, which would help us rest.
• They would have anti-inflammatory effects.

And how do we take them?

We could eat them raw or a little toasted. It is also possible to prepare a drink:

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons of pumpkin seeds (20 g)

• 2 glasses of water (400 ml)
• Sweetener to taste

Elaboration

• To start, soak the seeds for two hours.
• Afterwards, they will have to be ground with water.
• Let them rest for about 10 minutes and then strain them.
• We can sweeten them with a little honey or adding a pinch of cinnamon.

For those who do not like the taste of these seeds too much, they can prepare a vegetable pate or a pesto sauce.  We will do it as follows:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of pumpkin seeds (200 g)
• 6 fresh basil leaves
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 3 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese (30 g)
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil (30 ml)

Elaboration:

• First, soak the seeds for 2 hours.
• Then grind the seeds well with olive oil, fresh basil leaves, two cloves of garlic and Parmesan cheese.
• This sauce will allow us to accompany pasta or rice dishes.
• We can also spread it on toast.

Do not stay without taking advantage of the properties of the pumpkin. Both its pulp and its seeds will help us obtain a large amount of nutrients and prepare different and surprising recipes.